Firefighters are routinely confronted with unpredictable situations requiring the assistance of tools. For example, a locked door may be encountered preventing inspection of a particular room, or an electrical panel may be rusted shut. In such situations, firefighting tools may facilitate or enable forcible entry or access by wedging, prying or breaking. Other tools may function to open or close a fire hydrant or a gas meter, and rip into walls to search for fire sources. Frequently, firefighters carry multiple tools to serve a variety of needs, in the hope that the tools will adapt to the immediate need and not require the added time and risk of returning to a staging area to retrieve an additional tool. A common default set of tools, or “set of irons,” for a firefighter to carry are a halligan tool and a flat-head axe.
Traditional multi-use firefighting tools have been developed to combine common tool capabilities. In practice, while some multi-use tools have beneficial uses, they are not widely used, because, for example, they do not align or engage with the common set of irons carried by firefighters or are cumbersome to use.
Some efforts have been made to improve the tools for firefighting application. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,095,623 to Williams (“Williams”) discloses a firefighting tool having a flat blade with a pointed leading end for piercing through structural panels, stop teeth for engaging a structural panel that has been pierced, and rip teeth for sawing through structural panels when the tool is reciprocated along its longitudinal axis. The stop teeth are positioned at an angle relative to the rip teeth. The tool may be maintained in an overhead configuration when used to remove ceiling panels because the angle of the stop teeth provides a hooking action enabling the ceiling to support the tool weight. Because the stop teeth defeat inadvertent withdrawal of the blade, the firefighter need not make multiple penetrations of ceiling panels or other structural members being removed by the tool. However, Williams fails to teach several novel features of the present invention, including a multi-use tool configured to enable forcible entry and valve opening/closing, and adapted to supplement a firefighting halligan tool. Williams is incorporated by reference in its entirety.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,726,713 to Oleksia (“Oleksia”) discloses a multi-use tool having a generally J-shaped hook structure with a top portion, a middle shank portion and a curved bottom portion. The top portion has a loop to which a rope, life-line or escape line can be fastened. The curved bottom portion extends to a beveled tip. The multi-use tool also has a protruding member that extends from the curved bottom portion and has a substantially flat top surface and a substantially flat bottom surface. However, Oleksia fails to teach several novel features of the present invention, including a multi-use tool configured to enable forcible entry and valve opening/closing, and adapted to supplement a firefighting halligan tool. Oleksia is incorporated by reference in its entirety.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,705,430 to Ziaylek, Jr. (“Ziaylek”) discloses a forcible entry tool having a shank portion, a tail portion and a head portion. The head consists of a spike extending normal to the axis of the shank and wedge and wrench portions extending mutually opposite from each other along a line extending generally normal to both the extension of the shaft and that of the spike. The wedge and wrench portions consist of approximately equal masses so that when an impact is applied to an object by the spike portion. Any lateral turning moment about the spike is minimized. The wrench is formed as an extension of the wedge portion and presents an arcuate upper surface extending between the two so that when the wedge is used, a greater fulcrum distance is provided. Furthermore, in using the wrench portion, both the shank portion and the wedge may be utilized as a dual handle system for applying additional torque to a hose coupling and the like. The shank may be formed to bend away from the side presenting the wrench to facilitate the application of torque to a hose coupling when using the wrench. However, Ziaylek fails to teach several novel features of the present invention, including a multi-use tool configured to enable forcible entry and valve opening/closing, and adapted to supplement a firefighting halligan tool. Ziaylek is incorporated by reference in its entirety.
Some efforts have been made to provide firefighting tools that feature multiple uses. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 7,845,254 to Lionel (“Lionel”) discloses a firefighter pocket tool combining the functional features of several traditional tools (slip groove pliers of the curved jaw type, 6 in 1 screwdriver, spanner wrench, gas shut-off tool and a striking tool) onto a shared single structure. The tool comprises a pair of slip groove pliers each having a jaw portion, a joint portion and a handle portion, a pivotal bolt, nut and spring member. A protrusion on the upper rear portion of the pliers' upper jaw's head forms a striking surface and a hook and claw which can be used as a spanner for rocker lug type and similar fire hose couplings. A gas shut off loop can be used as a finger guard when the tool is being used as a striking implement. However, Lionel fails to teach several novel features of the present invention, including a multi-use tool configured to enable forcible entry and valve opening/closing, and adapted to supplement a firefighting halligan tool. Lionel is incorporated by reference in its entirety.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,127,387 to Tygh (“Tygh”) discloses a manually held firefighting tool with an elongated staff section comprising working members at each end. The first working member has a claw element and a spike element, each extending perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis of the staff section and protruding from the staff section in opposite directions. The second working member extends from the second end of the staff section and has a U-shaped yoke element supporting an arcuate cross bar element positioned parallel to the longitudinal axis of the staff section. The second working member has its own claw element at one end and a spike element at the other end. A flat bar element is affixed perpendicularly to the cross bar element between its two ends. However, Tygh fails to teach several novel features of the present invention, including a multi-use tool configured to enable forcible entry and valve opening/closing, and adapted to supplement a firefighting halligan tool. Tygh is incorporated by reference in its entirety.
U.S Patent Application Publication No. US 2004/0261188 to Mathis (“Mathis”) discloses a combination tool for use in fighting fires, search and rescue, forcible entry, auto extrications, and salvage and overhaul. An axe/hammer head member is attached to an elongated handle pry bar of various sizes. The handle pry bar forms itself on either side of the axe/hammer head acting as a chop stop for both axe/hammer member. The pry bar member provides a water/gas shut off tool as well as a pry tool. The axe underside is a 3-in-1 tool providing a hydrant wrench, windshield and dry wall cutter. The cutters are used when the axe is supplanted past the dry wall or windshield and pulled. The hammer underside provides a spanner wrench for hoses and the common stortz coupling on fire trucks. However, Mathis fails to teach several novel features of the present invention, including a multi-use tool configured to enable forcible entry and valve opening/closing, and adapted to supplement a firefighting halligan tool. Mathis is incorporated by reference in its entirety.
Finally, some efforts have been made to provide firefighting tools that engage other firefighting tools. U.S. Pat. No. 6,367,107 to Corsini (“Corsini”) discloses a striking tool for interlocking with a bar-like tool having a fork end and/or a pike end. The striking tool uses two retaining features for retaining a bar-like tool. The pike can be replaced by or supplemented with an adz, or any other type of extrusion. The bar-like tool may be a halligan tool. The striking tool is preferably an axe having a handle and a striking head anchored to the handle. One of the bar-like-tool retaining features is located on the striking head and the other retaining feature is located on the handle. The two tools are detachably interlocked for storage or carrying purposes. However, Corsini fails to teach several novel features of the present invention, including a multi-use tool configured to enable forcible entry and valve opening/closing, and adapted to supplement a firefighting halligan tool. Corsini is incorporated by reference in its entirety.
What is needed is a multi-use tool configured to enable forcible entry and valve opening/closing.